Regulator



C. A. SORENSEN REGULATOR Filed June 14, 1941 N E Rm w: mm m. H N m r m w.

ATTORNEY Oct 5, 1943.

ullllrilzlllllxk Patented Oct. 5, 1943 UNITED -f-sTArs-s PA ENI "-"g,ss1,0s4 p i REGULATOR- Christian; Sorensen, Oakland, Calif} A I application 1m 14, 1941,:SerialNo;398,172. I (Cl.50+

a: clai s.

My invention relates to regulators in general, and more particularly to regulators for'controlling the flow of'gas suchas butane, tointern'al combustion engines. -i i In the operation 'of internal: combustion engines, great economies have been realized through the use of cheap fuels instead o1." gaso-' line. One such fuel, which-has enjoyed'wide-- spread use; particularlyin farm and'rur'al districts, is the gas known as "butane; By reason of its gaseous nature, at normal temperatures and pressures, it is, however, somewhatless c'om venient to handle than a'liquid fuel such as gasoline. It is normally supplied: to a ivehicle tank in liquid phase, and through evaporation, gradually enters into the gaseous statefand'develops considerable pressure in the vehicle tank.

' Because of this high pressure developed in the fuel 'tank, due to the generationof the g'as, it becomes necessary to effect a' positive sealing of the tank supply upon 'shutting'down' of the engine; and during operation of the engine, to regulat'e the supply thereto in accordance with the demands made by the engine]; Regulator-shave accordingly been providedfo'r the purpose,but these are based upon the use of afiexible diaphragm, and are suflicientl'y complex instruc ture and manufactureas 'to"require the use of a service-man inth adjustment and repair thereof. Unless an engine be also equipped with an emergency gasoline supply system, failur'e 'of one of these diaphragm regulators isapt to leave a user stranded and render his vehicle inoperative overan'extendedperiod of time, until such regulator can beservic'ed. This would be particularly inconvenient in the case 'of a'farmer operating a tractor in the cultivation of extensive areas.

Among the objects of my invention 'are-'; w (1)To provide a novel and improved regula t ,hi,"

(2) To provide a novel and improved regulator for internal combustionwengines runningon butaneor some corresponding gaseous fuel;

(3) To'provide a'n'ovel and improved regulator of such few parts and rugged construction as to enable its adjustment and repair a simplematter;

(4) To pr'ovi'cle a noveland improved regular tor utilizing a cheaply obtainable and easily-replaced "standardized valve assembly, whereby the most delicate part of the regulator may quickly and-easilyfbe replaced and atthecost of but a fewcents. r if Additional 'objects of my invention -'will-"'-becarry the gaseous fuel to the cylinderwThe ina brought out in the following description of same take'n in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing wherein-l s Figure l'is a viewin' section bodiment of my invention;

' 'Figure 2 is a view in'secti line 22 of Figure 1 1;: i. 1-

through one Fem-T on, taken along the Figure 3 is a fragmentary view inisection ,il-

lustraiting a1 modification of my invention:

Figure 4 is' aview looking down .on theiva'lve assembly of Figure 3.. 1 Referring to the drawinggthe device of my in vention comprises a"! cylinder 10; the vendsliof which are 'internallysthreaded: to re'ceiveclos'ures] which constituteend walls-13 and ISof'i-thecylinder; One' of these closures, 13, 'is provided with a small vent opening I1; permittingthe pas sage-"of airtherethrough. L

Within the cylinder, Iprovide a piston which includes a piston head 1 amounted. at; one end of ta piston rod or stem 2'!- which extends central- 1y through the ventedclosure I3. This-piston rodcarriesaa'spring 23 between the piston head 1 and the ventedclosure, and :anotherspring 25- preferably of conical shape, on the protruding endgofthe rod. A washer 2'Ldisposed onthe rod adjacentthe end of the conical-"shapedspring,

and a pair'of nuts-29 threaded to the'end of. this.

rod enable adjustment of the piston todetermine its: normal p'ositionvin the cylinder with both springs 23 and 25 under compression; The pis ton head l9 includes a '"sealingcup 3| ofij'leather, rubber :or other"suitable material 'clamped z'b'etweenrapair of supporting washers 33Ha'nd withthe cylindricalz-wall '31 of the cup directed toward the. vented'end l3 of thecylind'e'r; .The workingface' of the pistonmay, thus'be"'consid-' ered 'as the side facing. the'end wall. l5 of the -cylinderywithwhich'it formsa'i'chamber 39.

The endwall 'l5=i's provided withanopening 4| disposed to one sideof the'cen'ter oftthe end wall, and surrounded on the outer surface: of the end wall by a"hollow internally threaded' bos'sffl adapted to receive a nipple' or feed line 45"prferablyffor connection to the intake manifold of an engine. j v Centrally of the same end wallpthereis another opening' ql which'is surrounded byl'a hol 10w internally "threaded boss 48 and 5| on both the inner 'and outer'surfa'ce of the end wall." The outsidebo'ss 491s adapted to receivea feed'line 53' extending from a fuel tank (not shown), to

terior bossil is adapted to receive" av alveasployed for bicycle or automobile tires, and known on the market as a Schrader valve.

Such valve assembly comprises a casing 51 which threadedly receives an arrangement of a valve seat 59 and valve 6| that can be removed as a unit. The valve is usually possessed of a valve stem 63 which protrudes slightly beyond the open end of the casing.

After the device has been assembled in the manner indicated, the piston is adjusted so that the piston head 19 occupies a normal rest position, just slightly spaced from the protruding valve stem 63 of the valve assembly.

The operation of the device is quite simple. As the engine is cranked for starting, air is absorbed from the piston chamber 39 on each suction stroke of the engine, to gradually develop a condition of partial vacuum in the chamber. The existence of atmospheric pressure behind the piston head l9 results in exposing the piston to a differential pressure created by the: exhaustion of air from thechamber 39, and. the piston will gradually move forward toward the valve assembly 55. As the degree of evacuation increases, the piston will ultimately press against the valve stem 63 and gradually open the valve, thereby admitting gas from the supply tank to the engine by way of the chamber 3-9. Upon ignition occurring, the average rate of consumption of gas, at various speeds of the engine, is sufiici'ent to maintain an average pressure in the chamber 39, lower than atmospheric pressure, thereby holding the piston against the valve stem,.whereby'the'valve will remain open, Between suction strokes at slow speeds and particularly at idling speed ofthe engine, when the inrushing gas may tend to momentarily raise the pressure in chamber 39 and render conditions favorable for withdrawa'l of the piston to shut off the valve, a chattering of the piston would occur at such slow speeds, were the piston free to withdraw instantly. To prevent this, the vent I"! ismade quite small so that, although still sufficient to maintain atmospheric pressure behind the piston, it is nevertheless small enough to preclude rapid escape of air, and thereby establishes an air cushion behind the piston. Such. air cushion, in addition to discouraging any sudden withdrawal' of the piston, will also" serve to spread the sealing cup 3 I against the cylinder wall, and thereby increase its resistance to movement'toward its normal rest position.

To assure that the piston will not completely block the valve passage, should the piston head [9 move far enough forward to rest against the end of the valve assembly casing 51,v I'contemplate notching the end of the valve casing so that there will always exist an: opening or plurality of openings 65' from the casing for the flow of incoming gas when the valve is'open.

As a further safeguard to the prevention of chattering of the piston 19 at idling speed, Inlay provide a bracket 61 on the vente'dend 13 of the cylinder, which has a laterally disposed portion 69 facing the exposed end of the piston rod 2|. This bracket is adapted to carry an adjusting. screw H which may be threaded through the bracket and carries a coil spring '12 which bears against the nuts 29 atthe end of the piston rod; Such adjustment will damp any tendency which might exist or develop on the part of the piston to oscillate under the stimulation of the springs 23 and 25. Y

Asa modification oi the embodiment disclosed in Figure 1,'I contemplate substituting for thesingle valve assembly, a multiple valve assembly 13, with the valve stems 63 extending different distances in the direction of the piston head 19. The assembly may be conveniently formed by soldering two or three of the valve assemblies of Figure 1 into a common cylinder 15, and so adjusting the casings that the valve stems 63 will occupy different positions with respect to the piston. Or in the event that the stem of a standard valve assembly is too short to permit of such an arrangement, the valves may be provided with valve stems of different lengths to serve the same purpose. A plural valve assembly as disclosed in Figures 3 and 4, will enable one with greater accuracy, to supply the engine with fuel at a rate more commensurate with the requirements of the engine at different speeds or loads, for it will beapparent that as the piston moves forward, the distance to which it moves being a function of the engine speed, the valves will be opened. in succession so that under conditions when the engine requires its greatest supply of fuel, the piston will have moved forward sufficiently to have actuated all of the valves.

The regulator, while it has been described as such for use in controlling and regulating the supply of gas to an internal combustionengine, is nevertheless capable of being modified or altered toadapt it to different uses, without departing from the spirit of my invention. Therefore, while I have disclosed my invention in some detail, I do not desire to be limited in my protection'thereto, except as may be necessitated by theappended claims.

I claim:

. L'As an. article of manufacture, a regulator comprising, a cylinderhaving end walls; a piston in said cylinder facingone of said end walls to define a chamber, and having a piston rod extending axially of said cylinder and through the other ofsaid end walls; a pair of springs surrounding said piston rod, one within said cylinder and one outside said other end well; an adjusting nut on the extremity of said piston rod, adapted for altering. the normal rest position of said piston in said cylinder under simultaneous compression of said springs; an opening through that end wall facing said piston, through which gas in said chamber may be evacuated; another opening through said same end wall; and a selfcontained valve assembly disposed in said lastmentioned opening, said valve assembly including a tubular casing extending toward said piston and a valve in said casing having a valve stem protruding from said casing to within a short distance of said piston, said casing being slotted at the piston end thereof.

2. As an article of manufacture, a regulator comprising, acylinder; a closure for each end of said cylinder; a piston in said cylinder facing one of said closures to define a chamber, and having a piston rod extending axially of said cylinder and through the other of said closures; a pair of springs surrounding said piston rod, one within said cylinder and one outside said other closure; an adjusting nut on the extremity of said piston. rod, adapted for altering the normal rest position of said piston in said cylinder under simultaneous compression of said springs; an eccentrically disposed opening through that closure facing said piston, through which gas in said chamber may be evacuated; another opening through said same closure; and a self-contained valve assembly disposed in said last-mentioned opening, said valve assembly including a cylinder and carrying'an adjusting screw adia:

tubular casing extending toward said piston and a valve in said casing having a valve stem protruding from said casing to within a short distance of said piston. I

3. As an article of manufacture, a regulator.

comprising, a cylinder; a closure for each end of said cylinder; a piston in said cylinder facing one of said closures to define a chamber, and having a piston rod extending axially of said cylinder and through the other of said closures; a pair of springs surrounding said piston rod,

a bracket mounted at'the adjusting end of said said piston, said casing being slotted at ,the' pisbe evacuated;

cent the end of said piston rod and in line there- -with; resilient means between said adjusting screw and said adjusting nut; an eccentrically disposed opening through that closure facing said piston, through which gas in said chamber may an axially disposed opening through said same closure; and a self-contained valve assembly disposed in said last-mentioned opening, said valve assembly including a tubular I casing extending toward said piston and avalve in said casing having a valvestem protruding from said casing to within ashort distancefof CHRISTIAN 'A. SORE N SENL 

